The spiritual leader of Roman Catholics in Los Angeles has called on the many Latino-Americans among his flock to ignore appeals for a boycott and take part in the 2010 census.
The once-every-10-years count of the U.S. population by federal officials "will determine the allocation of up to $3 trillion in federal funds for essential programs such as public transportation, road construction, schools, child care and hospitals," said Cardinal Roger Mahony. "Latinos in the U.S. alone could see up to an additional $100 million in funding for their communities if the 2010 census can produce an accurate count."
Mahony's endorsement of the U.S. Census Bureau's upcoming push to count the entire population — regardless of immigration status — comes as some organizations and activists push for a boycott to protest the lack of progress on reforms to immigration law at the federal level. The campaign to boycott the census has gained momentum thanks in part to religious leaders from various Protestant and fundamentalist Christian denominations, including several that have won converts from among the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic populations of immigrants from Mexico and Central America.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles remains by far the largest religious organization in the region in terms of Latino-Americans and members overall, however. The archdiocese includes an estimated 4.4 million members spread over 288 local parishes in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Mahony has the authority to offer support or opposition to efforts such as the U.S. Census — as well as other matters — in various ways, including the use of parish priests to read pastoral messages from him during services.
Mahony has also been a steadfast supporter of immigrants' rights through the years, a track record that will likely give him credibility with immigrants in regard to the census.
Mahony offered his endorsement of the national count during an October 1 press conference with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other elected officials.
The event came as advocates of the boycott have found some sympathy among illegal immigrants in the U.S., a group for which estimates on total population range from 10 million to 20 million. Many illegal immigrants have grown tired of heated rhetoric that's been used against them for several years by proponents of restrictive immigration policies. Another point of frustration is the lack of any progress on immigration reform while federal officials target employers who have illegal immigrants on their payrolls. An example of such methods can be seen Downtown, where garment manufacturer American Apparel — the largest employer in the local industry — recently received orders to fire 1,800 of its 5,000 or so local employees because their immigration status could not be verified.
Proponents of the boycott have benefited as harsh rhetoric and crackdowns on employers have combined to increase fears among illegal immigrants about providing personal information to any government officials. Federal officials have promised that any information provided in response to the census will remain confidential and not be passed along to other agencies of government.
Mahony told the crowd at the recent press conference that he believes the government can be trusted with census information.
"The census is confidential," he said. "By law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual's answers with anyone, including welfare and immigration agencies."
Related articles:
* Offering Assurances on 2010 Census, Impulso
* Census Boycott Splits Latinos, New America Media
* Census Boycott Divides Immigrants, El Planeta
* East Los Angeles Residents Critical to Census, Eastern Group Publications
Sam Hassan is a writer for the L.A. Garment & Citizen.
Photo of Cardinal Mahony from Wikimedia Commons
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